Puddings Recipe

Warm milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream, and half of the granulated sugar (1 tablespoon). Add vanilla bean seeds and pod (or vanilla extract). Heat over medium until just steaming and small bubbles form at the edges, about 5–7 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes if using a vanilla bean; if using extract, remove sooner.

Whisk egg yolks

While milk is warming, in a bowl whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and cornstarch until pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper yolks

Remove the vanilla bean pod from the milk. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly to temper. Continue to add another 1/2 cup, whisking, until yolks are warmed.

Cook custard

Return the tempered yolk-milk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk. Place over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 5–8 minutes. Do not let it boil vigorously — small bubbles are OK. Remove from heat and stir in salt. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now.

Strain and cool

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits and the vanilla pod remnants. Press to release all smooth custard. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin forming and cool to room temperature (20–30 minutes), then refrigerate until cold, about 1–2 hours or overnight for best texture.

Mix cocoa

When the vanilla custard is hot but still on the stove (before final thickening), whisk the cocoa powder into about 1/4 cup of the warm milk to make a smooth paste so it dissolves evenly. Then stir that paste into the saucepan with the rest of the custard base before it finishes thickening. Continue cooking until the chocolate mixture reaches desired thickness (coats the back of a spoon), then remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate until melted and fully incorporated. Strain into a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.

Finish and serve

Once chilled, taste and, if desired, whisk briefly to smooth. Spoon into serving dishes and garnish with whipped cream and grated chocolate or a dusting of cocoa powder.

Make caramel

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, add 6 tablespoons granulated sugar in an even layer. Heat over medium without stirring; gently swirl the pan occasionally for even melting. As sugar begins to melt and amber, watch closely to prevent burning. When mostly melted and amber, add 2 tablespoons cold water carefully (steam will rise) to loosen and create a syrup, then stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until smooth. Remove from heat.

Incorporate caramel

After you have cooked and strained the vanilla custard base, while still warm, whisk about half of the warm custard into the caramel to blend, then pour that back into the remaining custard and whisk to combine. Return to low heat briefly if needed to ensure smoothness but do not boil. Strain again if necessary, cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour. When serving, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top.

Portion chilled pudding into individual bowls or glasses. Top chocolate pudding with whipped cream and grated chocolate or dusting of cocoa. Top caramel pudding with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a dollop of whipped cream if desired. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir gently before serving if texture separated slightly.